The present invention relates to a methods as defined in the preamble of claim 1 and to a system as defined in the preamble of claim 7 for the management of V5 interface signalling software.
A previously known technique is to connect two network elements to each other via a V5 interface. Open interfaces (V5.1 and V5.2) between an access network or access node and a local exchange are defined in the ETSI (European Telecommunications and Standards Institute) standards. V5 interfaces enable subscribers belonging to a physically separate, wired or wireless access network to be connected using a standard interface of a telephone exchange.
A dynamic concentrator interface (V5.2) consists of one or more (1-16) PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) lines. One PCM line comprises 32 channels or time slots, each of which with a transfer rate of 64 kbit/s, i.e. 2048 kbit/s altogether. The V5.2 interface supports analogue telephones as used in the public telephone network, digital, such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) basic rate and primary rate access lines as well as other analogue or digital terminal equipment based on semi-fixed connections.
A static multiplexer interface V5.1 consists of one 2048 kbit/s PCM line. Except for the ISDN primary-rate access, the V.51 interface supports the same subscriber types as the V.52 interface.
The signalling between the network elements of the V5 interface is controlled by signalling software.
Older versions of the V5 standards contain many imperfections which have been interpreted in different ways by different manufacturers. Therefore, implementations produced by different manufacturers are not completely compatible. Many properties are more closely defined as the standards are developed further, and even completely new properties are often created. For this reason, the older implementations may drift still further apart, so they will not necessarily understand each other. Likewise, new versions of the standards may appear, in which it is necessary to implement a support for new properties in an easy way.
The object of the present invention is to improve prior-art solutions and to disclose a new type of method and system for connecting network elements consistent with V5 standards to each other so as to form a compatible interface between different applications and interpretations of the standards.
The present invention concerns a method for the management of V5 interface signalling software in a telecommunication system comprising a first and a second network element connected by a V5 interface. Both ends of the V5 interface are provided with signalling software which takes care of the information sent and received in the network element in question. Moreover, the telecommunication system comprises a management network connected to the first and second network elements, which functions as a user interface between the V5 interface and the world outside and which is used to define the properties of the V5 interface.
According to the invention, a set of parameters is created, and a parameter set corresponding to the parameters of the V5 interface in question is selected as the active set used to control the operation of the signalling software. The parameter set contains at least one parameter controlling a given function in the V5 interface signalling software.
The generation of parameter sets and selection of the active parameter set to be used by the signalling software can be accomplished using the MML command language (MML, Man-Machine Language) via the management network. The active parameter set can also be selected from among parameter sets stored before-hand. If the stored parameter sets do not include an exactly suitable set, then the stored parameter sets can be modified to suit the V5 interface in question.
In an embodiment of the method, parameter sets consistent with standard V5 interfaces are generated and stored in conjunction with the signalling software. Each parameter set can be named with a separate identifier.
Moreover, the invention concerns a system for the management of V5 interface signalling software in a telecommunication system as described above. According to the invention, the signalling software of a V5 interface comprises means for generating, storing and activating a parameter set. The parameter set contains at least one parameter controlling a given function in the signalling software.
In addition, the system of the invention preferably comprises means for generating a parameter set and for selecting an active parameter set for use by the signalling software using the MML command language via a management network. Moreover, the signalling software may comprise means for selecting an active parameter set from among a number of parameter sets stored beforehand. The system preferably also comprises means for modifying stored parameter sets so as to make them consistent with the V5 interface in question. If the stored parameter sets do not include an exactly suitable set, then the stored parameter gets can be modified to make them consistent with the V5 interface in question.
In an embodiment of the invention, the signalling software comprises means for modifying a parameter set stored beforehand so as to make it consistent with the V5 interface in question. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the signalling software comprises means for generating parameter sets consistent with the standard versions of V5 interfaces and for storing them in conjunction with the signalling software. The signalling software may also comprise means for naming each parameter set with an individual identifier.
The invention improves the compatibility of different standard versions of the V5 interface and accelerates many Functions of the interface. The invention makes it possible to match network elements by the use of an appropriate parameter set without making changes in the software. In addition, the parameter set is easy to use and changes can be easily made.